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Monday, August 22, 2016

10th transfer, 8th compi

Well y'all...
It's the week of TRANSFERS!!! So I kind of already knew last week that I would be leaving Alicante because my zone leaders told me. However, I didn't really want to accept it and I was kind of in denial because I don't feel ready at all to leave Alicante. However, Friday came and we walked out of a cita, and I saw that I had a missed call from President and when we called him back he told me I would be leaving Alicante, and that I would be going to "the frying pan of the mission"...
That means SEVILLA!! I have a lot of emotions all mixed up about this and I will explain myself.

1. Alicante has been amazing. I have learned so much here and worked so hard. Honestly, I feel like in Badajoz, I found my love for the mission and here in Alicante, I just let it grow and develop and blossom and I LOVE the mission! I have had ups and downs and tears and laughter and awkward moments and miracles and I just don't feel like 3 transfers was enough time here.

With the Bishop and his wife

2. So our awesome investigator Gregorio. He is getting baptized this weekend!! I am so incredibly happy for him. It has been the biggest blessing to find him and be able to teach him and prepare him for baptism. I am heartbroken that I won't be able to be here to see him on his special day, but I'm really just trusting in the Lord that He knows what is best. And I'm so so so happy for Gregorio.

3. Hermana Peters. I cannot tell you how much I love this amazing Hermana. These short 6 weeks with her have changed me - but so much. This Hermana has so much love. She loves obedience and she loves the investigators, she loves making goals and becoming better, she loves ice cream and she loves Nephi, she loves running and she loves being a missionary. Being with her and made me want to be better and has taught me so much about being a true disciple of Christ and a consecrated missionary. I wish we could have more than one transfer together. But what's important is that we did have at least one transfer and now we will be friends for life. ❤️

4.So I'm going to Sevilla! it's hot but as all the Spaniards tell me, "es precioso!". So it's fine, I might be suffering in the heat but at least I'll be in a beautiful city. And maybe I'll finally break out some sunscreen. 😎 Also, my new companion will be Hermana Anderson from Draper, UT. I don't know her very well, but I do know that this is her last transfer so I will be sending one more Hermana home. It will also be fun to be there because when I was in my first area, we went there a lot for exchanges and meetings so it will almost be like going to an old home.

Okay, apart from transfers, we had a pretty good week. The days just fly by.

Update on Gregorio - still as amazing and hilarious as ever, still always talks about how much he loves the lord and how much he loves his wife and can't wait to see her again. He got his white shirts on Saturday, had his interview yesterday and is all ready to be baptized on Saturday!!!! It has been so amazing to be able to see how much the Book of Mormon has touched his heart and really allowed him to see and feel the difference between this church and all the others. Just the love and the passion he has for life and for God are so contagious and everyone he meets can't help but love him. He is a 65 year old man who always wears checkered and plaid shirts coordinated perfectly with bright colored pants because "the Lord wants his children happy." He's been through so much more than I could imagine yet I've never seen him without a smile nor has he ever failed to make everyone around him smile!🙃

We also had our last district meeting and really good intercambios with the Hermanas from Albacete.

Basically in the mission, there are a million opportunities to learn. Every single day, and something that I have realized is that we can grab hold of them and love them and be humble and learn, or we can let them slip away and not progress and not take advantage of them. And life is like that too. So I just want to invite y'all to look for those opportunities and take advantage of them! Don't be prideful, accept help from others and search for opportunities to grow and learn more.

Also, this week we hit our one year mark... AAAHHHH. But it's fine, even though everybody tells us we are basically done, that isn't true we still have lots of time to work. Would you believe we celebrated with getting shakes? 😜🍦🎉

Alright, I'm sorry this is so dang long. Thanks for all being so wonderfully supportive and loving. I love being here and I'm so grateful for this opportunity to serve my Heavenly Father and help others learn about the gospel.